Context Dependence

Context dependence exists when the behavior of a system or the outcome of a process depends on the current conditions, circumstances and the actual state of the environment. It is certainly a property of many complex adaptive systems. Apparently, adaptive systems are context dependent. Depending on the context of the system, the behavior, appearance and state of the system may vary. Repeated context dependence may lead to path dependence, if the changes and adaptations are permanent.

References

• Main Wikipedia Entry for Context-dependent memory

• Bruce Edmonds has written a number of papers on Context and Context-Dependence, for example this one about Complexity and Context-Dependency